Private Hearing Test – Devon and Cornwall

Private hearing aid care allows people to get the help they need immediately. Locally based with no waiting lists or restrictions on the type of hearing aid you are able to receive.

If you suffer from hearing difficulties and could benefit from a hearing aid in Devon & Cornwall & Plymouth, turn to Alistair Kinsey your local hearing aid care provider, where the standard of care and service is second to none.

“A recent study in fact shows that 73% of individuals with hearing loss, and 41% of their relatives, believed their family relationships improved once they started wearing hearing aids.”

What to expect at your hearing assessment

Case History

This is your chance to tell me the whole story about your hearing and the issues either you or your significant other have concerns about. How long it’s been going on for? How it’s affecting you or the people around you. You may know already and just need an update or you’re ready to take the next step.

We recommend that people over the age of 55 have their hearing tested on a regular basis as part of their overall healthcare regime.

Otoscopy is a visual examination of the ear canal and ear drum using a hand held device called the otoscope. This device consists of a bright light, and a magnifying glass enabling closer inspection. A mini camera may be used to capture images.

Audiometry is a key test used to provide an accurate measurement of hearing. You will be required to use a headset through which a series of tones are presented at various pitches (frequencies) and volumes (intensities) to one ear at a time. You are required to press a button or raise your hand each time a tone is heard, no matter how soft.

An audiogram is a graphical representation of your ability to hear different pitches (frequencies) at different volumes (intensities). It helps us determine which ear you hear better in, how mild or severe your hearing loss is. We can also clearly identify the frequencies at which you hear best and worst.

Speech tests – We have always found it useful to give your significant other an insight in to how you hear the world. Using word lists gives us some understanding on how you hear sounds and interpret this into words. In simple terms do you hear meat or neat, Feel or eel?

Difficulties hearing speech in noise is the most commonly reported problem and we have a test for that to.

Tympanometry – This much specialised piece of equipment, generally only found in Hospitals or high quality independent hearing centres. This can help to identify;

Ear perforations

Middle ear infections

Sensorineural and conductive hearing loss

Problem with the Eustachian tube

Video Otoscope – Finally who does not like a picture. A picture paints thousand words, HD record of your ear canals and drum.

Home visits are also of particular benefit if you are housebound, or in a residential home, or disabled and cannot easily get into us. Our home visits for hearing problems are available throughout Devon and Cornwall.

Alistair Kinsey can carry out appointments in the comfort of your own home. Home visits give you a more exclusive service for additional confidentiality and privacy. Home visits are also of particular benefit if you are housebound, or in a residential home and cannot easily get into us. Our home visits for hearing problems are available throughout Devon and Cornwall

All our services are carried out by a qualified Hearing Aid Dispenser, who is registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is a member of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists.

Your hearing test in Devon & Cornwall & Plymouth

Ear problems in Devon & Cornwall

Your ear is a complex organ that transforms sound waves and vibrations in the air into information that can be interpreted by your brain. It can perceive sounds that are barely audible and tolerate sounds that are very loud, it can differentiate subtle pitches, loudness, distance, and detect the direction of its source, truly amazing! However a number of issues can happen but be detected from having regular ear examinations

Cholesteatoma; is a cyst or sac of skin that grows behind your eardrum into the middle ear and mastoid. It results in a chronic, smelly discharge, and the longer it remains the more damage it can do to the delicate structures of the ear.

Glue ear; occurs when the middle ear is filled with fluid that looks like glue. It can affect one or both ears. The fluid dampens the vibrations of the eardrum and ossicles made by the sound waves. The cochlea receives dampened vibrations, and so the ‘volume’ of sound is reduced. It is the commonest cause of partial deafness in children and it is estimated that one in four children are affected with glue ear at some stage of their lives. Glue ear may lead to delayed speech development, behavioural or educational problems.

Otosclerosis; is an abnormal growth of bone in the middle ear. This bone prevents structures within the ear from working properly, reducing the sound that reaches the inner ear and causes hearing loss. This is called conductive hearing loss. Less frequently, otosclerosis can interfere with the inner ear nerve cells. This is called sensorineural hearing loss. For some people with otosclerosis, the hearing loss may be a combination of the two and become severe.

Perforated eardrum; is a hole or tear that has developed in the eardrum, which may have been caused by infection or injury. Quite often a hole in the eardrum may heal itself but it may also cause recurrent infections with a discharge from the ear. If you have an infection you should avoid getting water in the ear. If the hole is large then you may experience some hearing loss.

Meniere’s Disease; is a disorder of the inner ear that could be related to some abnormality of the inner ear fluids. The build-up of fluid may increase the pressure within the labyrinth and cause swelling that can lead to malfunction.

Infections of the Ear; Otitis or ‘inflammation of the ear’ occurs when bacteria or a virus invade the external, middle or inner part of the ear. There are three common types of ear infections:Otitis externa (also known as an outer ear infection or swimmer’s ear), Otitis media, Otitis interna (also known as an inner ear infection or labyrinthitis).

Tinnitus; is often described as ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring or a whooshing noise, heard in the ears or head. The sounds are usually only heard by the person experiencing tinnitus. However, there have been some rare cases where the sound has been heard by other people. Tinnitus is a symptom that is generally associated with age related and noise induced hearing loss.

Tinnitus can have a significant impact on peoples’ lives but there are always ways to manage the condition.